How to Convert Color Codes: HEX, RGB, HSL (Free)

Designers think in hex, CSS often wants rgb or hsl, and your design app may hand you something else entirely. Converting a color by hand is fiddly and easy to get wrong. This guide shows you how to convert color codes for free with the Color Converter, which translates between HEX, RGB and HSL with a live preview and one-click copy. It runs entirely in your browser, so it is fast and private.

How color models work: HEX, RGB and HSL

All three describe the same on-screen colors, just in different notations.

• RGB sets the amount of red, green and blue light, each from 0 to 255. rgb(255, 0, 0) is pure red.
• HEX is the same RGB values written in hexadecimal as #RRGGBB. #ff0000 is the same pure red, where ff equals 255.
• HSL describes a color by hue (the angle on the color wheel, 0 to 360), saturation (how vivid, as a percentage) and lightness (how light or dark, as a percentage). hsl(0, 100%, 50%) is again pure red.

HEX and RGB are two ways of writing the same numbers. HSL is a more human-friendly model — it is easy to make a color lighter or less saturated by nudging one value.

How to use the Color Converter

You can start from any format:

1. Open the Color Converter.
2. Enter a value — type a hex code, set RGB sliders, or use the built-in color picker.
3. Watch the live preview swatch update to show your color.
4. Read the matching HEX, RGB and HSL values, all kept in sync.
5. Click the copy button next to whichever format you need.

Every field updates together, so you never have to do the math yourself.

Example conversions

Here are some common colors across all three formats:

Seeing the same color three ways makes it clear how each model represents brightness and hue differently.

Common use cases

Color conversion is a daily task in web and graphic work:

• Turning a brand hex code into RGB for a design tool or document.
• Converting to HSL so you can build a tint and shade scale by adjusting lightness.
• Matching a color from a screenshot to a precise CSS value.
• Translating values between a mockup and your stylesheet.

To build a whole scheme rather than a single color, try the Color Palette Generator.

Tips and common mistakes

Keep these in mind for clean results:

• A hex code can be six digits (#ff0000) or a three-digit shorthand (#f00); both are valid, with the short form expanding each digit.
• Remember hex pairs go red, green, blue, in that order.
• HSL is the easiest model for creating variations: keep hue and saturation fixed, then change lightness for tints and shades.
• Watch the percent signs in HSL — saturation and lightness are percentages, while hue is a degree from 0 to 360.

A frequent mistake is mixing up RGB order or forgetting the leading # on a hex code.

Is it private and free

Yes. The Color Converter does all its math in your browser, so nothing is uploaded and results are instant. It is completely free with no sign-up and no limits.

For more design and code helpers, browse the developer tools category or the complete all tools list. You can also jump to the Color Palette Generator when you need a full set of matching colors.